


Drawing your face away

by SupercatFanatic



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Idiots in Love, artist!kara, four times plus one time, supercat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-06
Updated: 2016-08-06
Packaged: 2018-07-29 19:34:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7696669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SupercatFanatic/pseuds/SupercatFanatic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Four times where Kara draws Cat without her knowing and the one time she does...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Drawing your face away

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! I guess it's time to post again (I know, I posted last week but so what?!). A lot of you told me they would miss me so I thought it would be nice to post this now. Just so you know, I had this written for months, sleeping in my computer... I was reluctant to post it because I don't have a beta and I am not sure of my English on this one... So if you spot anything, tell me please. I will correct it immediately! 
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy this :3
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Supergirl, it's property of the CW.

The first time Kara drew Cat Grant, it was a week after being hired. She had spent her week learning things about her boss, to become the best assistant possible ever. She had been working with the Queen of All Medias for five days, discovering each minutes passing how demanding she was. So here she was, reading articles after articles, files after files, and watching portrait after portrait. Cat was a public figure, she was attending galas and was invited on TV. That meant that there were photos, a lot of them. And somehow, Kara couldn’t get the face out of her mind. And the only way she had to cope with that was to paint… Well, rather draw. She didn’t feel comfortable painting someone without their consent. And that’s how she ended with a pencil in her hand, a sketchbook on her lap, sitting on the window’s frame. 

As the tip of her pencil touched the paper, she looked at the portrait on her computer screen. Her art teacher had always told her to look at the model rather than her drawing, that it was the only way to catch all the details, the expression and the invisible of the subject. Your hand is the extension of your eyes when you paint. It’s a translation, the meeting between two language, dying to understand each other but needing an interpreter. So Kara did just that, she was translating. She looked at the lines of Cat’s face, and she put them on paper. She started with the frame of her face, her jaw, her temples, the top of her head. It was her favourite part and her least one at the same time. She enjoyed catching the very nude form of someone. When it was nothing else than a shadow. But it was also so frustrating, she wanted to put every details on it already. The thin lips, the eyes, full of determination, the eyebrows, always raised as if interrogating the world at any moment of the day. And her hair, because it was wild but also so well put together, it wasn’t fair how perfect it looked. But Kara enjoyed it, so she lost herself in her drawing.

Soon, minutes became hours. She hadn’t realised how much time she had spent on it until she had finished it. The moon was still high in the sky, she was lighting her long blond hair delicately, making her natural pink cheeks paler, whiter. It was still flattering, despite the exhaustion. She looked at the clock on the wall and saw that it was already three in the morning. She had to be up in three hours to bring her boss her latte and start a new week. She stood up and closed her window before making her way to her room. She put her sketchbook on her nightstand looking at it one more time before drifting off to sleep.

*******************************

The second time Kara drew her boss, it was during a board meeting. Not a really important one, Cat just needed to remind everyone who was in charge after Leslie’s rebellion. She told them what they already know, that their work had to be absolutely perfect if they wanted to keep their job, she had given them their subjects for the day, something she did in her office usually. Kara didn’t really need to listen, nor to take notes. So she did what she did when she was in high-school and didn’t find the class interesting, she drew. She sat behind Cat, her boss said to her that she didn’t need to be close to the mediocrity of her journalists –something about risking to lose her touch as an assistant, Kara hadn’t said anything but smiled-, so the only thing she saw of her boss was her back. And it was beautiful. She was standing, another way of asserting her authority in a men’s world, so the assistant had a pretty good view of her outfit and her shape. It was nice to look at, it was even better to draw it. 

She only had her pen and her notebook, it would be a small drawing, on the side of a piece of paper, but it would still be beautiful. It couldn’t be anything else when the model was Cat Grant, could it? She let her pen draw the soft curves of her boss, the line of her shoulders, her arms, thin but strong, the hollow of her waist. The dress she was wearing hugged her hips perfectly –like all of Cat’s outfit-and Kara enjoyed thoroughly tracing it on her paper. It then was the turn of her legs. Oh god, how good it was to draw her toned leg, the contours of her calf, how tensed her muscles were because of her heels. It shouldn’t be allowed, these heels. It was six inches of torture, for Kara at least. She knew she was staring at her boss, and even if she couldn’t see it, her colleagues might, and that was not good. She couldn’t tear her eyes of her though, she was drawn to her, and it scared her. Because she was her assistant, and it was wrong to be attracted to your boss. And because she was Supergirl and Cat Grant was… Well, Cat Grand, Queen of All Medias. She felt herself blush and shook her head. She reported her attention on the meeting only to find Cat staring at her.

“Keira!”

“Sorry Miss Grant, I zoned out.”

All the eyes were on her, she blushed even deeper. She wasn’t sure if any of them had noticed that she was staring at her boss’ legs, but it was still embarrassing.

“Pay attention, you are disposable too.”

Kara nodded and waited that the older blonde had her back turned to smile. She looked at her drawing, the body of the journalist was perfectly drawn, but something was still bothering her. And she hadn’t realized what it was until Cat snapped at her. What was missing was Cat’s face. Her gaze and her absence of smile. It was all the charm of the Queen. She chuckled silently and let her drawing alone, maybe she should work now.

*********************************************

The third time she drew Cat, it was without a model. She had no picture of Cat to help her, nor a real Cat. It was all between her pencil, her memory and she. And it wasn’t that she couldn’t do it, because drawing from her imagination, she loved it. She just wasn’t used to drawing realistic portrait like this. But she needed it, she needed to take her out of her mind…

It had all began at a gala for the thirtieth birthday of a big company, something Cat didn’t really want to attend, but had no choice but going. Perks of being the Queen of All Medias. She had taken Kara with her, she somehow was really useful during these kinds of events. She remembered details about the different people, how they had interacted with Cat, what she had promised and occasionally names that might be interesting in the future. She also organized her schedule, her arriving and departing, she could tell her when someone was taking too much of her time. And most importantly, she always watched that her boss had a drink in her hand. 

So Kara had bought a dress, trying not to clash with Cat’s one. And she had succeeded, even if she was not ready to see Cat in the actual dress. When she saw her on the red carpet, she almost felt dead. Her boss was absolutely stunning. She wore a deep blue dress, knee-length and close fitting. There were two triangles of skin at her waist, her chest was covered by two large strip of material joining behind her neck in form of brace. Her hair was not really different from the other days except that it looked a bit shinier. Her make-up, however, was much more outrageous. She had grey and white eyeshadow and mascara. Her lips were in a deep blood red making her smile even whiter, even bigger. Kara was under a spell, she couldn’t move. It’s only when the first photographer had captured the instant that she remembered how to walk. 

And so her boss had not left her mind since then. And it had been twenty four hours ago. She had just come back from a fire as Supergirl, she was full of adrenaline, she needed to evacuate or burry deep down her excitation. She took out her sketchbook, the same one where she had drawn her boss the first time. She sat on her bed, the stunning look of the journalist in her mind, she started to draw. And she knew, the moment her pencil touched the blank page, that this drawing would never be enough. That she would always be frustrated, no matter how much time she would spend on it, no matter how hard she would try. She knew. But she drew anyway. Because she felt it, rising slowly, the obsession, the need of being more to Cat Grant, the need to see more of her, but also the need to see the less perfect Cat Grant. She knew exactly what was happening, she had tried her hardest to avoid it, but how can you prevent the unpredictable? She was slowly falling for her boss, and it scared the shit out of her. So she drew, because she was good at it, because there was no danger while doing it, no rejection, no exposition of her secret, no shame. Nobody needed to know, she could live with it, she could live with only lines to adore, to worship. She could evacuate her frustration, she could remember how beautifully wonderful her boss had been that night with a drawing. She traced the lines of her dress, the shadows on her eyes, the passion in her eyes, the one she wished could be for her, she drew her magnificent hair. She even took pleasure spending time on the hands, because she wished so hard she could hold them, it hurt. Her drawing wasn’t perfect, she couldn’t catch all the perfection Cat Grant was being, she was frustrated, just like she knew she would be. But it soon became anger, against herself, for doing what she exactly didn’t want to do, for not having tried hard enough, for being what she was. The lines she had drawn at the beginning were so thick now that it almost made a hole in the paper. But she continued, because… What else could she do, right? And she drew, so much that if she had been human, her fingers might have bled. But they didn’t. And she didn’t stop. Until the tip of her pencil broke. And suddenly, it wasn’t the pencil that was broken. It was this woman, this woman who had a dream she knew she couldn’t reach. A single tear escaped her eyes. She threw the sketchbook away and fell asleep. 

*******************************

The fourth time Kara drew Cat, it was after the earthquake.

After having her powers back, she had flew to CatCo's balcony, telling her boss that she had given her hope. She had seen the content smile on Cat's lips, and also that little light in her eyes, the one that appears only when she's sure she has done the right thing. That night, Kara had realized how important Cat Grant was to her. Not only did she keep her sane, safe from Supergirl, but she was her hero. The true National City's one. People were attached to the wrong blonde, it was Cat who deserved everything. Supergirl was a symbol, a hero only because she was a monster on this planet. But Cat. Cat gave everything to this city, as a human, as a woman. She was the archetype of the self-made woman, the one with the real power. And her speech about hope, about how the people of National City could live by themselves, how they didn't depend on one Alien... It was the most beautiful thing Kara had witnessed in her life. So when she came home that night, exhausted by her day as a human, she took her sketchbook, the one she had thrown away not too long ago, and opened it. She took a look at the two other drawings of Cat. They were so different. If the first one was pure and beautiful, it was nothing like the second. The one of the gala was... Full of passion. She had put herself in it, even if the frustration had took over in the end. It looked raw, but was delicate. It was like Supergirl, strong on the outside, soft and fragile when looking at closer. 

Kara smiled and turned the page to find a blank one. Pencil in hand, she calmly drew the shape of her boss, starting by her shoulders, following the curves of her body. She imagined a pose for Cat, one that she had never seen on her boss, because it was hers. She put on Cat Grant Supergirl's pose, to illustrate how much of a hero she had been for her this day. It made her smile even wilder. There was no frustration in this drawing, she had embraced her feelings. There was no way to fight them. 

Cat’s face was confident as ever when she drew it, determination in her eyes. A little smirk but not too much, keeping it modest, just like she had been while talking to Supergirl. She detailed every strand of blonde hair, making it shine, even in black and white. Once it was finished, she went back to the body. She had an outfit to create and she knew exactly what she wanted. As the tip of her pencil started to retrace the line of the body, she added clothes to it. Long sleeves, hugging top, a really short skirt and knee-high boots. There was no mistakes to make. It was a Supergirl outfit. Kara smiled to herself at how accurate this representation was to her, how Cat Grant was a Superwoman. Because she was. She started to draw the big 'S' on the chest but decided to change it. After all, Cat Grant might be a Superwoman of her own but she wasn't an El. So she just put a 'C' on it, in the same style as the 'S'. She then started to add the folds on the clothes, the perfect manicured nails on the hands, the golden belt above the skirt... It took her nearly an hour but she was happy with the result. She looked at it, taking in the sight of Cat Grant as Supergirl, in her suit. Her mind wandered, she imagined her boss in her cape, naked as the day she was born. A smile on her face and her eyes softer than ever... But it was all a dream, unreachable. Cat Grant was out of her league, was her boss, was so... Her. She smiled sadly and closed her sketchbook, 'it's okay' she thought to herself, she could live with it. Cat Grant was the star she could never reach, and she would continue to watch it shine. 

**********************************

The fifth time she drew Cat, her boss is actually posing for it. She is sitting on Kara's couch, reading silently, her glasses on her nose, her face radiating with peace, she felt like she’s home. Because Kara was now her girlfriend…

It was a wonderful story to tell, how they started dating. Because it had been so unexpected, so surprising... No one would have guessed.

***  
It actually started the day after Kara drew Cat in Supergirl's suit. The day at the office had been calm, no emergency for Supergirl, not much screaming from Cat... It could be considered as a good day. The town was still recovering from the earthquake, most of the employees were at home, with their families. Cat had been clear about that. If they needed to stay home, they could. She understood how important it was to check on your children, just to be sure they were breathing, checking that the roof wouldn't fall on their heads. Everyone had been scared, even her. She had said that to no one though, her son had been safe, far from the city with his father, so her mind was almost peaceful. Almost. Because that day, she had understood something about Kara, she had understood who she really was. And how vulnerable she could be without her powers. Cat Grant was many things, but she wasn't stupid. Kara Danvers was Supergirl, and she would confront her about it this evening. 

Hours had passed by, there were only Cat and Kara left at the office. The older one was on her balcony while Kara finished sending the last emails before heading home. 

"Keira?"

The blonde raised her head and went to join her boss.

"You called me, Miss Grant?"

She nodded, her glass of Brandy in one hand while the other rested on the barrier of the balcony. 

"Take a sit."

Kara fidgeted, she didn't know what she had done wrong but it couldn't be good.

"If I threw myself off the balcony, do you think Supergirl would catch me?"

Kara's mouth opened wide, she wasn't expecting this. And she didn't know what to answer.

"Would you catch me if I fell?"

"Of course."

And that's when she realized what she had done. She had revealed herself as Supergirl. It was a mistake. After that, Cat had threaten to fire her, so she could help the city instead of bringing latte to her. But they had talked, Kara had explained to her how important her work was, how essential it was to keep her sane... How essential she was to her. 

"Me?"

"Yes, you."

And it had been another unexpected gesture from Cat, but a much more enjoyable one. She had kissed her, so roughly and softly at the same time... They had lost themselves in it. 

***

And since this day, they had taken things slowly, going on dates, never taking their relationships for granted. Cat remained the Queen of All Medias at the office, snapping at Kara and calling her Keira, but the heart wasn't at it anymore. And here they were, they had been officially dating for three months now. Carter knew, Alex knew, her friends knew... Even Cat's mother knew. The boy was at his father's for the weekend, so Cat was at Kara's apartment. She enjoyed being there, in her girlfriend's world. They talked for hours about Krypton, about Cat's childhood... And they kissed, a lot. Because it always felt like they couldn't have enough of each other. The journalist had discovered Kara's sketchbook, she had seen herself in it, but had said nothing, and Kara had never asked her to pose until this day. And it was special, because it wasn't in a sketchbook that she was drawing, it was on a canvas. 

For Kara, painting someone was an act of intimacy, very special and important. It wasn't something to be taken lightly. Adding colours to a drawing, it was giving it a life of its own. That's why she had been so nervous when asking Cat to pose for her. But the woman had smiled, and kissed her softly on the lips before agreeing. Kara didn't want anything extravagant, she considered that Cat had enough of that in her day to day life. So she asked her to read on her couch, in her favourite position. That's how she found herself drawing a very tiny Cat, head held by her closed fist, elbow resting on the arm of the couch. Legs tucked on her side, glasses on her nose, a focused expression on the face. 

Kara was smiling as the brushes started to fill the blank canvas. She couldn't believe her luck. Cat Grant, the unreachable star, posing for her, on her couch. She applied the colour on her outfit firstly, shading it so the light hit her in the right places. Her hair was magnificent, and she was afraid to fail capturing its beauty. She feared that she might not be good enough to paint this perfection. Cat had noticed that she had stopped. She had raised her head and smiled at her.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"You're so beautiful..."

Cat Grant didn't blush, but Kara made her feel so special that a light shade of pink came to her cheeks.

"I know, darling."

She was smirking, always hiding behind the sassy Cat Grant when her girlfriend made her blush.

"I'm sure it's going to be wonderful, Kara."

And the younger blonde wondered how she could read so easily into her. But it didn't matter, Cat trusted her. She continued then, catching the nuances of her skin, the reflection on her glasses, the perfection of her smooth skin. She tried to convey her emotions in it, because she knew how it felt under her hand, she wanted to be able to feel it while looking at this canvas. But at the same time, she was afraid that everybody who would see it would discover too much of her girlfriend. She wanted to keep it from herself. She grinned, the Queen of All Medias was hers, what a wonderful thought to have... Cat resumed her reading when she saw that Kara was back in her artwork, there was no need to try to talk to her when she was like that. So she read, for what felt like hours. But eventually, Kara finished it, putting aside another brush. She was a mess, her hands had almost as much paint on them than the canvas. There even were blue and red stains in her hair. 

"I'm done."

Cat slowly put her book aside, looking at her lover with such tenderness that it made Kara blush. 

"Look at you, even Carter is more careful when he's painting."

She blushed harder, taking all of her brushes into the sink to wash them later. Cat hadn't move, she was sitting on the couch, waiting for her. 

"May I see it?"

Kara nodded, shyly. She was so afraid, so afraid that it wouldn't be good enough... But Cat took her hand and went to the other side of the easel. Her sight was on Kara, like she was waiting for her permission even if she already had it. And the blonde nodded, squeezing her hand lightly. The journalist turned her head and saw it... She saw herself, but it didn't look like herself. It was a much brighter version of herself. She had seen many artwork of herself, in the Medias. They all painted her like the Queen she was, with her cold stare. But Kara... Kara had captured the version that she showed to nobody except her son. And it was so overwhelming to see that there was another person to see her, to really see her. She felt beautiful, she felt herself. She felt like she could win every battle when there was this waiting for her. She didn't understand where it came from, but a tear escaped her eye, rolling down her cheek. Kara saw it but said nothing, and Cat was glad, because she didn't trust her voice right now. She squeezed her assistant's hand and turned towards her.  
"I suppose it's not so bad."

And it was all it took for Kara to let out a relief sigh. It meant everything for Cat to say that. Kara knew how fragile and touched she was right now, too sensitive to say something softer. She had succeeded. She was just about to thank her when she felt a hungry pair of lips against her own. The hand that wasn't holding hers came to her cheek, keeping her close. The let go of each other's fingers, Cat's hand tangled in the long blonde hair while the other gripped possessively Kara's hips. The younger blonde was holding her boss' face with both hands, painting colouring her cheeks. When they broke the kiss, smiling, forehead against forehead, Kara caressed her cheek. Stopping when she noticed the paint on it.

"I think you're my new canvas now."

"Then show me how good of a painter you are with your fingers."

They laughed together, kissing once more as they made their way to the bedroom.

**Author's Note:**

> So, how was it? Please let me know!
> 
> As always, you can find me on Tumblr as Xazera (Supercat Fanatic) if you want to give me prompts or just talk!   
> Have a great day (night for me but whatev'), SCF :3


End file.
